Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) articles from February 2007

Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) archives from February 2007

Child Nursery Centers selects board officers.
February 2, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Child Nursery Centers has elected board officers for 2007. Sandi Yukman is chairwoman. Mike Finkbiner will serve as vice chairman. Leah Ash is secretary and John Whitten is treasurer. Child Nursery Centers was...

Strategic Financial Partners receives awards.
February 2, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report For the second year in a row, Strategic Financial Partners has received the National President's Award and the Total Premium Growth Award from the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. The company has offices in Colorado...

Ernst & Young seeking Rocky Mountain region's outstanding entrepreneurs.
February 2, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Ernst & Young LLP is accepting nominations for its 2007 Rocky Mountain region Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Last year, 12 entrepreneurs in eight categories were selected. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who...

Colorado Springs Business Journal: List your 2007 golf tournaments now.
February 2, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report It's not too early to post the date for your 2007 golf tournament on SeniorFriendlyGolf.com. Only the tournament name, date, location and point of contact with phone number and e-mail is required. Listings may be...

Oil users facing crude awakening.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine The world has enough oil to meet demand for the next decade -- but only if oil-producing countries invest in new fields. And after the next decade? Oil analysts and experts have differing opinions about how soon the...

Citygate transforming entrance to downtown Colorado Springs.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley After a year of demographic studies, land planning and financial analysis, demolition has begun at a 12-acre, four-block former industrial district site in south downtown. Griffis-Blessing of Colorado Springs and...

Commentary: I'm non-partisan -- as far as politics goes.
February 2, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Picked up the mail the other afternoon and there was one of those irritating little notices sandwiched between the bills and the junk mail. I had a certified letter, return receipt requested, from the El Paso County...

Opening Cheyenne Mountain could be tourism boom.
February 2, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst There are places that loom large in the annals of war, and in our collective imagination, places where no battles are fought, no shots are fired and where the loudest noise is the muted hum of powerful computer...

Interview with Cathy Green, town manager of Monument, Colorado.
February 2, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Cathy Green's role in Monument continues to expand -- along with record residential and commercial development in this commuter community, bisected by Interstate 25 and within minutes of two major cities. As the...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 2, 2007.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Rob Larimer The Internal Revenue Service this week began offering tips for requesting the telephone excise tax refund. Early tax returns show some people are making basic mistakes, others are requesting excessive refunds and many...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 2, 2007.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine The Pikes Peak Mental Health Group has earned the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Health Organization's gold seal of approval, marking the 31st year that the group has maintained accreditation. "We seek...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 2, 2007.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Kevin Kratt and Tom Cone, partners in the development of University Village, have closed on the original 28 parcels slated for redevelopment along North Nevada Avenue. "We have two more to add to the original...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: Februar 2, 2007.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Historically men are the big spenders when hit by cupid's arrow and this Valentine's Day is no exception. According to the National Retail Federation's 2007 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey,...

Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, visitor's bureau in talks about co-location.
February 2, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley With long-term leases expiring in 2008, the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak will be looking for new digs. Would either consider co-locating, and if so, would...

AARP seeking nominations for Best Employers for Workers Over 50.
February 2, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report AARP is seeking nominations for its annual Best Employers for Workers Over 50. The Best Employers program rewards innovative organizations that offer policies and features that appeal to workers who are 50 and...

Executive volunteers needed to help Pikes Peak nonprofits.
February 9, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff The Center for Nonprofit Excellence has launched the Front Range Executive Service Corps to strengthen the management and increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations through high quality, affordable consulting...

El Paso County seeking engineer for board of review.
February 9, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff The El Paso County Board of Commissioners is seeking an engineer representative to serve on the Board of Review for a three-year term. Applications for the position are due March 1. The Board of Review consists of five...

Colorado-based Arc Thrift Stores have record year.
February 9, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Arc Thrift Stores distributed $3 million to units in the Denver metro area and Weld, El Paso and Pueblo counties last year. The mission of the stores is to enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities...

List 2007 golf tournaments.
February 9, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff It's not too early to post the date for your 2007 golf tournament on SeniorFriendlyGolf.com. Only the tournament name, date, location and point of contact with phone number and e-mail is required. Listings may be updated...

Wyo. water offers alternative to Southern Delivery System.
February 9, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Fort Collins entrepreneur Aaron Million thinks that he has found a way to supply Colorado Springs, and much of the Front Range, with enough water to supply the need for the next century. He doesn't have a...

Nothing says love like a P.I. and a polygraph.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Most people dream of candy and flowers on Valentine's Day -- but for some, the occasion brings heightened suspicion and guilt. And when either of those emotions arise, a call is often placed to someone to verify...

Is a health care cure imminent?
February 9, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine 2007 is the year for health reform. At least, it should be, according to the myriad of health advocates, hospitals, insurance industry and presidential proposals that could be considered by the 110th Congress and...

Commentary: One little bill, but so much controversy.
February 9, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Could there be anything more fun than the uproar over HB 1072, the recently-passed bill that amends the so-called "Labor Peace Act" of 1963? If political junkies were film buffs, it's like seeing the original cut...

Fellows program in Colorado Springs marks 15 years of leadership.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine They live throughout the country -- Vermont, Alaska, Massachusetts. They work in a variety of fields: Internet technology, teaching, government. And they all have one experience in common: all were part of the El...

Interviw with Eric Ryan: Partner in Stockman Kast Ryan & Co.
February 9, 2007... Byline: CSBJ Staff Stockman Kast Ryan & Co. was started in 1985 by two former Deloitte and Touche employees. Ten years later, they added a third partner, Eric Ryan. With more than 50 employees, the accounting firm provides business...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 9, 2007.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez Acordia Inc. is now Wells Fargo Insurance Services. The fifth-largest insurance brokerage and largest bank-owned insurance brokerage in the United States acquired Acordia in May 2001, but this week announced the...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 9, 2007.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Colorado employers are reporting higher health plan costs than the rest the nation, according to a survey released by the Lockton Benefit Group. The survey, while not scientific, is an "indication of the general...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 9, 2007.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley As Powers Boulevard development rapidly absorbs any vacant land zoned for commercial development, retail growth has begun to move east toward Marksheffel Road. One indicator of that trend is the new Willowind Center in...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: Februar 9, 2007.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Wal-Mart has decided to do battle with Amazon.com, CinemaNow and iTunes. The retailer is partnering with Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony, 20th Century Fox and Universal to sell digital movies and television...

Changing times: family entertainment evolving.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson The family fun entertainment industry targets the attention span of a 2-year-old, and the once tried-and-true bumper boats and outdoor batting ranges are no longer generating public interest for business owners....

Commentary: Dress to impress not just overused catch-phrase.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Tessa Nelson Are you judged by the way you dress for an interview? Are you judged by the way you dress for work every day? Ninety-three percent of managers polled by OfficeTeam said that a person's style of dress at work influences...

Commentary: Headache saves me from sappy holiday scribbling.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd I considered writing something sensitive in honor of Valentine's Day next week, but I realized that my track record when it comes to successfully achieving "happily ever after" is sorely lacking (OK, actually it was my...

Colorado Springs Non-profit Briefs: February 9, 2007.
February 9, 2007... Byline: Lon Matejczyk God and soldier all people adore In time of war, but not before; And when war is over and all things are righted, God is neglected and an old soldier slighted. Anonymous I recently was asked to join the board of the...

Executive volunteers needed to help nonprofits.
February 9, 2007... Executive volunteers needed to help nonprofits The Center for Nonprofit Excellence has launched the Front Range Executive Service Corps to strengthen the management and increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations through high quality,...

Tejon Street seeing more upscale nightspots.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley From its dramatic sculptured walls, Purple Cue billiard room, intimate red-walled upstairs "Office" bar and an upscale natural stone-trimmed terrace and upper deck with fire pits designed to warm the see-and-be-seen...

Minimum wage's maximum impact.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson With a minimum wage adjusted for inflation based on the Denver-Boulder-Greeley consumer price index, within a decade a teenager could be earning a minimum wage of $10 an hour. And a waitress could earn $7 an hour plus...

Commentary: Premature for full-fledged back-slapping.
February 16, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst For cinema buffs, there are no bad scenes in "Pulp Fiction," just as there is no bad dialogue in "Casablanca." Remember the memorable exchange between the lawyer, Mr. Wolf (played by Harvey Keitel), and the two hit...

3-D animation takes hold as must-have new media.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez A visual trend has been emerging during the last decade, perhaps most noticeably in films such as "Toy Story," "The Incredibles," "Cars" and "Finding Nemo." And with the box office success and popularity of the...

Q&A with Mara Purl, author with Haven Books.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Mara Purl is a teacher, author and actor who has made Colorado Springs her home during the past 12 years. She is part of a small, independent publishing company, Haven Books, which has four...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 16, 2007.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez An initiative has been launched that would make a company liable for any tax costs associated with backdated and misplaced stock options that rank-and-file employees might not have been aware of. Internal Revenue...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 16, 2007.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine The proposed 2008 federal budget includes millions of dollars for the Department of Health and Human Services in the areas of bio-surveillance, electronic health records and chronic care management. The suggested...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 16, 2007.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Griffis Blessing Inc. has added three new management contracts to its 4,700-unit multifamily portfolio: Alikar Gardens Resort, Templeton Ridge and The Signature at Promontory Pointe. The Colorado Springs properties are...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: February 16, 2007.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Wal-Mart won top honors at the RACie Awards gala for a 2006 holiday television advertisement. The RACie Awards, distributed by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association are given each year to honor the best...

Colorado Springs Technology Briefs: February 16, 2007.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez Parents afraid of losing track of their children might want to consider purchasing a pair of sneakers with a GPS chip tucked into the bottom of the shoe. The sneakers, which will be available this summer, were...

Pikes Peak Hospice selects board, foundation officers.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care has selected officers for its board and foundation. Leading the organization's board are: David Wolf M.D., Memorial Hospital Urgent Care Clinic, chairman;...

Commentary: 2-1-1 brings both sides of political aisle together.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd Who says Democrats and Republicans can't agree on anything? Earlier this week a bipartisan coalition of elected officials marked 2-1-1 Day by joining forces on Capitol Hill to support the passage of the 2-1-1 Act, which...

Entrepreneur magazine recognizes Brooke Franchise Corp.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Entrepreneur magazine has named Brooke Franchise Corp. as the No. 1 franchise opportunity in its miscellaneous financial services category for the fourth consecutive year, according to the...

Special Markets Insurance opens regional office.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Special Markets Insurance Consultants Inc. of Skokie, Ill., has opened a western regional office in Colorado Springs. Ann Baldrica has been named the manager of the local office. She...

El Paso County seeking engineer for board of review.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The El Paso County Board of Commissioners is seeking an engineer representative to serve on the Board of Review for a three-year term. Applications for the position are due March 1. The Board...

Allstate honors Colorado Springs-based Turner Agency.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Colorado Springs-based Turner Agency has been named Colorado's 2006 "Agency of the Year" among agencies that have been in business for three years or less by Allstate Insurance Co. The agency...

City of Colorado Springs seeking volunteers for board, committee.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The City of Colorado Springs is seeking volunteers to serve on the Asset Naming Board and the Investment Advisory Committee. Both positions are at-large and require only an interest in city...

Court Appointed Special Advocates seeking weekend volunteers.
February 16, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Court Appointed Special Advocates is seeking volunteers for the Supervised Exchange and Parenting Time (SEPT) program, which helps and supports families and children affected by abuse, neglect...

Colorado Springs' new chief of police sees continuing evolution of law enforcement.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Richard "Rick" Myers brings a wealth of experience to his roles as Colorado Springs' new chief of police. Originally from Rochester, Mich., Myers believes that policing will change as law...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: February 23, 2007.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez Compass Bank has been purchased by Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A as part of a $9.6 billion cash and stock deal. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth-quarter of this year....

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: February 23, 2007.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Technology helps nurses improve patient care and allows them more time at patients' bedsides, according to a study conducted by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Analytics. The study included...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: February 23, 2007.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley The office condominium market is heating up. The Courtyards at Briargate, for example, kicked off its new Class A office and mixed use development on Feb. 22. "This will be the 'Lexus' or 'Mercedes' of office...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: February 23, 2007.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Joan Johnson Circuit City is inviting Americans to nominate their local firefighters for outstanding service as part of a national online essay contest. A recent study by the U.S. Fire Administration, a division of the Department...

Carbon tax takes lead over emissions capping.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine A carbon tax -- based on emissions from cars, homes, power plants and corporations -- is more likely to successfully lower carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than a carbon trading system. That's the word from the...

Colorado Springs Technology Incubator putting final touches on new site.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez Gary Markle is happy. His latest project, renovating the 23,000-square-foot building that will host the Colorado Springs Technology Incubator, is almost complete. The building at 3595 E. Fountain Blvd. was purchased...

Addiction to e-mail doesn't have to ruin productivity.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Lorna Gutierrez E-mail addiction has joined the ranks of the12-step recovery programs. For many people, there's a rush associated with a new message. The excitement of seeing a message pop up in an inbox is similar to the...

Colorado Springs Downtown Development Authority selects inaugural board.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The Colorado Springs Downtown Development Authority has selected its first board of directors. Members include Larry Small, David Lord, Chris Melchar, Mike Hassell, Chris Jenkins, Roger...

Monument Marketplace riding 8-year cycle of new construction.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Parkway retail growth kicked off in 1999 with construction of a King Soopers, northwest of the intersection of Jackson Creek Parkway and Baptist Road, joined by a Conoco station and...

Commentary: Ex-Denver Bronco great spends Super Sunday in Kuwait.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Lon Matejczyk Playing 10 seasons in the National Football League is tough, just ask Randy Gradishar, one of the best linebackers to ever play for the Denver Broncos. But, being stationed in Kuwait for any stretch of time is...

Commentary: One of these days I'll learn to keep my mouth closed.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Mike Boyd Most everyone I've ever met has at one time or another fancied themselves a newspaper columnist. And I can understand why. It seems like a really sweet job. Pick a topic, scribble a few words and presto -- you're winning...

Yet another health care crisis: Bad debt rising in Colorado.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Amy Gillentine Hospitals are struggling with bad debt -- bills that patients can't or won't pay, and in Colorado, the problem is growing. "We have a bigger problem here because of the number of uninsured," said Colorado Hospital...

New retail readies for Tri-Lakes development in Monument, Colorado.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Becky Hurley When 30-acres on the southeast corner of Jackson Creek Parkway and Baptist Road was proposed as a possible site for Wal-Mart, the public outcry was deafening. Two years later, the same location, now slated for the...

Commentary: City Auditorium a testament to years of nothing.
February 23, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst If ever you wanted an example of multi-generational governmental dysfunction, here it is. In a report recently presented to City Council, which included cost estimates for renovating City Auditorium, this little gem...

March of Dimes selects outstanding Colorado volunteers.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The March of Dimes has selected the winners of its 2006 volunteer and sponsor awards. Volunteers from southern Colorado who were honored included Christie Gate, Ann Giambalvo (Bank of America)...

Colorado chapter of American Institute of Architects chooses state, local leaders.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff The American Institute of Architects has selected members for the state and local boards of directors for 2007. The state board includes: Ken Dubois of Klipp, president; Chris Stumm of CTDS...

Court Appointed Special Advocates seeking weekend volunteers.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff Court Appointed Special Advocates is seeking volunteers for the Supervised Exchange and Parenting Time (SEPT) program, which helps and supports families and children affected by abuse, neglect...

PRACO Public Relations Advertising Co. receives tourism industry awards.
February 23, 2007... Byline: Colorado Springs Business Journal Staff PRACO Public Relations Advertising Co. has received awards from two tourism groups for its advertising, marketing and public relations work on behalf of the industry. The agency received the...

Will Wyoming continue to dominate U.S. coal markets?
February 23, 2007... Byline: John Hazlehurst Wyoming is best known for Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, Old Faithful and Vice President Dick Cheney -- and don't forget coal. According to The Energy Information Administration, the state has...